Robots are also seen as a potential solution to issues posed by China’s ageing population, which is expected to lead to a shortage of workers in the country, according to Fei Qin, an associate professor at the University of Bath.
Beijing considers the robotics sector a “strategic priority” in its pursuit of leadership in advanced technology, she said.
“Robots are where AI leaves the screen and enters the economy” in factories, hospitals and, potentially, the home, Qin added.
US robots tend to have more user-friendly software but it is difficult to ignore the lower prices offered by Chinese manufacturers, said Harold Soh, a researcher from the National University of Singapore.
Unitree’s robot dogs start at $2,700, a fraction of the roughly $70,000 price tag for Boston Dynamics’ four-legged device, Spot.
“They’re not exactly comparable because some of Unitree’s dogs are much smaller,” Soh said. “But the price is a big difference.”
Unitree has been selling humanoid robots since 2023, with its $13,500 child-sized G1 model hitting the market the following year.
Meanwhile, major US rivals – including Elon Musk’s Tesla – have yet to start delivering rival products.